Haunted By The Past
by Elenhin
Summary: Bo gets a girl in his sights, but sometimes the past makes it hard for someone to fully enjoy the future. Warning for hard themes later on.
1. Chapter 1

Author's Note: Bo gets a girl in his sights, but sometimes the past makes it hard for someone to fully enjoy the future.

Big thanks to Vinsmouse for beta work.

**Warning**: _The warning is placed here for Vinsmouse, who wanted a spew warning here, claiming it might be a bad idea to drink while reading the funnier parts. So please keep in mind that drinking any kind of beverage while reading this, might be hazzard'ous to the health of your screen. _

This story deals with things that some people might find slightly difficult to read about.

Disclaimer: The Duke Boys are not mine, I don't own the Duke boys, nor the General Lee. I promise that once I'm through with them, there will be nothing broken that a trip to Cooter's garage can't fix…. Kerry-Marie however is mine.

* * *

Haunted By The Past

Chapter 1: Smokey And The Bandit

Bo looked around himself where they sat in the back rows of the movies. It was a good movie screening with lots of action in it. Smokey and the Bandit, and it seemed to attract a large crowd. The younger folks had seen it several times already. Car chases, incompetent sheriffs and fast thinking heroes. Trying to get the Coors beer from one state to another in record times. It had all the things that made the Duke boys consider it a good movie, while Jesse claimed they didn't need to see it more than once since Bo jumped the General much the same way Burt Reynolds jumped his Trans-Am. It wasn't just that they saw the movie though, it was that they saw it with some pretty girls.

Cooter had his arm around Sally-Jo Johnson and Luke had his around Betty-Lou Nelson while he himself was sitting next to Kerry-Marie with his hands in his lap. The only way you could tell they were there together was really the fact that Bo held the popcorn that he had gotten for the two of them.

Neither of the Duke boys had ever dated Kerry-Marie before and he wasn't sure if she had ever been on many dates. Yet she had always been pleasant enough the few times he had talked with her, and after being told off by his intended date it had seemed like a good solution. Most girls were perfectly aware that the Duke boys didn't always commit themselves for more than one date at a time. Sometimes they asked for a new date as they took the girls home. Then they were committed for the time being and they never broke a commitment to a girl but if no promise had been made then they just didn't see themselves as committed. Apparently Sue Ellen had been more of the jealous kind because Bo had asked her for a date to the movies. Only after that she had seen him talking with Betty-Lou, and she had assumed Bo was flirting with her. In truth Bo had only wanted to know if it would be alright with her if he and Luke picked up both girls together rather than having to borrow their uncle's pickup together with the General.

Not listening to his explanation Sue Ellen had gone as far as to slap him in the face and tell him that he had better not ask her for a date again. Bo had decided that it was safest not to. If that was how she reacted she might get mad if he was even talking with Daisy, and he didn't want to be with that jealous a girl.

Being without a date and seeing Kerry-Marie at the Boars Nest he had asked if she was interested in going with him. It had taken quite a bit convincing but in the end she had agreed. Thinking that she was probably just shy he had decided to try a bit harder than he usually did. Risking Daisy's wrath to pick some flowers that he brought her for one thing.

He had been forced to promise her mother that he would have her back home in an agreeable time as well. Normally he didn't have to bother about things like that, or normally the parents had already given up and just sat waiting with a shotgun if they were too late. This time however he thought he would keep the time. The way the movie date was going he kinda doubted he'd get to settle down for a cuddle anyway.

The movie was at the end scene, and yet not a single kiss.

"Did ya have a nice time?" He asked her as they left the movie theatre and he took her hand, glad that she didn't pull away.

"Very nice Bo, thank you." She smiled at him and while she was not the prettiest girl in Hazzard she was kinda cute in a more boyish way. Short hair and dressed in jeans and shirt.

Luke grinned at him where he was walking with his arm around Betty-Lou. "Hey Bo, we're kinda figuring on heading out ta the creek, the two o' ya coming along?"

Bo knew what they would be doing there, he knew it very well. He wanted nothing more than to join them but it seemed that Kerry-Marie would rather not.

"Can ya leave me the General?" He asked. "I reckon we's gonna take a walk instead, maybe git some ice cream."

"Suit yerself cousin," Luke grinned as he tossed him the car keys. "An' don't cha wait up fer me, I reckon I'm gonna be late." He grinned as Betty-Lou giggled and the two couples walked down the street.

"I'm sorry ya didn't git ta go wi' them." Kerry-Mari told him quietly as the two of them were alone.

"Ah, it's alright," Bo told her. "We got an hour afore yer ma wanted ya back home though. Ya wanna go an actually git some ice cream?" He wasn't really used to this kind of date.

She nodded slowly. "Ya must be thinking I'm a horrible date." She mumbled quietly as they walked down the street.

"Nah, I could never think that." Bo smiled at her. "Yer a bit shy maybe, but I don't reckon I mind, yer a nice girl Kerry-Marie."

She gave him a doubtful look and Bo laughed. "Well, given how Sue Ellen slapped me in the face fer talking ta Betty-Lou, I reckon yer a mighty nice gal."

"She did that?" Kerry-Marie frowned.

"Yeah, an' I was only asking if she'd mind if we went all four ta the movies." Bo nodded as they approached the ice cream parlor. "Look, I know the kind 'a reputation that me an' Luke have earned, but we don't take advantage of no one."

"Yer a nice guy Bo." Kerry-Marie smiled at him and moved just a little closer to him as they walked. "There are some guys who would have said that I had ruined their evening."

"Well, ya sure didn't." Bo said even as he knew that Luke would be teasing him. "If watching smoky an' the bandit, an' going fer an' ice cream is a nice evening, then yer the cherry on the top."

Smiling at the way she giggled he ordered them both a banana split each and carried them over to the table.

"Cherry on the top?" She asked him with a small grin, thinking it was a very interesting way of putting it.

"Just a moment." Giving her one of his trademark grins Bo darted over to the counter and soon returned with a cherry that he placed on top of her banana split. "Cherry on the top." He nodded grinning at her the whole time.

Kerry-Marie couldn't help but laugh. Bo Duke was considered one of the best catches in all of Hazzard, thought most girls claimed they had thrown him back in to grow some after a date. In truth she had been very nervous agreeing to a date, fearing that he would expect certain things in return. However, it seemed that Bo Duke was willing to give what he had, and was satisfied with what he got in return.

Seeing that he wasn't making any demands on her she had a very nice evening. Laughing at the jokes he made because with his boyish looks and eagerness, he was really rather charming.

"Reckon it's about time I got ya home now." He finally stated as he put down his spoon, stood up and eased her chair back before offering her a hand rising. The image of the perfect gentleman.

"Yeah, but we don't have to hurry too much." She smiled at him, this time being the one to take his hand.

"We take the long way then." He beamed as he led her to where the General was parked and helped her inside. Driving her home at a leisurely pace without any car chases or anything.

Arriving at her house, he parked the car and slid out the window to help her out.

"I had a really nice evening." She smiled at him taking his hand. "Thank ya Bo." With those words she stepped up to him and gave him a small peck on the lips. While used to quite a bit more Bo found himself quite content and unable to do anything but grin. It wasn't until she was halfway to the door that he thought of calling out to her.

"Can I take ya out again?" He asked hopefully, pushing away from the car.

"I don't know when Bo." She answered seeming a bit hesitant.

"Are ya going ta the football game this weekend?" He asked hopefully, and grinned as she nodded.

"Great, can I pick ya up for that then?" He beamed at her in a way she found very hard to turn down.

"Alright Bo, pick me up a bit afore it starts." She stated and laughed at the cowboy holler he gave her. One thing was for sure, Bo was very enthusiastic about it.

Bo made his way from her house once he had seen her step inside, and after that there wasn't anything much else to do but make his way back towards the farm. Very early for him, but there was really nothing else to do either. Unless he headed over to the Boars Nest. He decided against it since that would mean Daisy asking him what he had done to be finished that early. Maybe heading back home for a game of checkers with his uncle wasn't such a bad idea at all.

He was already in bed when Luke came in. Even turned towards the wall he could tell the way he came in and started to undress.

"Close the door will ya Luke." He mumbled as light from the hallway spilled into the room.

"Who are ya an' what have ya done wi' my cousin." Luke laughed. "Yer turning into some kind of Sunday school dream boy. Yer home early an' in bed."

Bo would have thrown something at him, but the only thing he had was his pillow and he wanted to keep that. "Just cause I'm home before ya one evening ya don't have ta go insulting me like that," he growled at him.

"Bo, ya left ta git home as soon as the movie was over." Luke laughed.

"We went fer an ice cream." Bo defended himself.

"Yeah, and that must've been an exciting thing. Really Bo, I'm surprised at ya, being that forward with a girl." Luke went on and Bo flung his pillow at him angrily. Luke picked it up from the floor with a soft whistle. "Yer kinda touchy tonight aren't cha?" He asked.

"Shut up an' let me sleep." Bo glared at him. "An' give me my dang pillow back."

Luke threw it at him grinning as it landed on Bo's belly. "So, cousin, who are ya taking to the football game?" He asked, having just secured his own date and intending to make it sting that he assumed Bo didn't have one.

"Kerry-Marie." Bo told him punching his fist into his pillow.

"Really?" Luke asked surprised. The way it had looked to him he couldn't really imagine that Bo would agree to another date.

"I asked her and she said yes." Bo declared.

"Ya asked her for another date?" Luke gave him a confused look.

Bo nodded. "Yeah, I did."

"Why?" Luke sat down on the edge of his bed facing Bo.

"Cause regardless of what ya think, I had a nice time." Bo snapped at him.

"Nothing wrong with having a good time." Luke stated slowly. "I'm just surprised Bo. It ain't what you usually call a good time."

"I know that." Bo turned to face him. "But ya know, in spite of being really shy, she's a really nice girl. I was thinking that if I took it a bit easy she might get a bit more confident."

"Makes sense," Luke nodded. "I reckon it's okay as long as ya had a nice time."

"Yeah." Bo nodded. "An' I had a real good time."

Luke nodded, "then I ain't gonna say anything about it Bo."

"Thanks." Bo gave him a smile as he laid back down to sleep.

**"The way I see it, anyone would be thrilled to be watching Smokey and the Bandit with the Duke boys."**

/Please leave a review, the cricket is hungry…..


	2. Beans or Fish

Author's Note: Bo gets a girl in his sights, but sometimes the past makes it hard for someone to fully enjoy the future.

Big thanks to Vinsmouse for beta work.

**Warning**: _The warning is placed here for Vinsmouse, who wanted a spew warning here, claiming it might be a bad idea to drink while reading the funnier parts. So please keep in mind that drinking any kind of beverage while reading this, might be hazzard'ous to the health of your screen. _

This story deals with things that some people might find slightly difficult to read about.

Disclaimer: The Duke Boys are not mine, I don't own the Duke boys, nor the General Lee. I promise that once I'm through with them, there will be nothing broken that a trip to Cooter's garage can't fix…. Kerry-Marie however is mine.

* * *

**Haunted By The Past**

_**Chapter 2: Beans or Fish**_

Bo grinned as they walked from the football game, soda and hot dog in hand. Kerry-Marie was walking beside him and was just licking the last ketchup from her fingers.

"I'm glad that I went with ya." She smiled at him. "It was really great Bo."

"Uh, our team kinda lost." Bo pointed out, since Hazzard High had lost the game.

"Me having a great time didn't have anything ta do with who won or who lost." She smiled at him. "Though I wouldn't have minded if they had won."

Bo grinned at her and leaned against the tailgate of his uncle's pickup finishing his hot dog. He just hadn't been able to make himself leave the game without a last one, for some reason they seemed to taste better at the games. Kerry-Marie went to join him and Bo turned down the tail gate to give her a seat. Hitching up to sit beside her.

He gave her one of his trademark smiles. "So, what do ya say about going wi' me to the Boars Nest Saturday?"

"Jukeing?" She asked a little hesitantly.

"Yeah," Bo grinned at her. "How's that sound?"

"Alright Bo, why not…" She smiled at him. "Look Bo, I think I should head over to my family now, do you mind?"

"Not at all." Leaning closer Bo put his hand down on the tailgate behind her. Sending the signals that he would like to give her a goodbye kiss, but not crowding in too much on her.

"See ya later Bo?" Kerry-Marie tilted her head and allowed him to kiss her.

"See ya later." Bo smiled at her as she walked over to where her family was. Spotting Luke headed towards the General he closed the tailgate before heading over to him.

"So, I reckon ya had a nice time now too," Luke grinned as he saw the smile on his face.

Bo nodded, matching his grin. "Ya might say that. Ya know Luke, she's a mighty nice girl when ya git ta know her."

"And yer wanting ta git ta know her…" Luke grinned and clapped his shoulder.

"Ya can bet yer boots I am." Bo grinned at him.

"I don't have to." Luke chuckled clasping his shoulder. "Looking at yer face is enough. Come on now, lets git back, still got the chores to finish."

"Right," Bo gave the very unenthusiastic reply given the fact that he knew he was going to get stuck with mucking out Maudine the mule's stall.

"Aw come on Bo." Luke told him teasingly as he slid in through the General's window. "There's a pretty little lady back home waiting for ya."

"Oh yeah?" Bo frowned as he himself got in.

"Yeah," Luke nodded. "Bet Maudine can't wait to see ya."

"Cute." Bo gave him a half glare as he started the engine.

"Yeah, she is, ain't she?" Luke grinned as he had won one over his cousin.

Bo tilted his head to the side and gave him a level look, one he kept up until Luke started casting worried glances between his cousin and the road. Maybe it was a fairly straight stretch, but they were still doing fifty miles an hour and Bo didn't seem to pay any attention to where he was going. It also looked as if he was going to miss their turn.

"Maudine huh?" Bo finally said as he broke a hard turn that had Luke pressed to his side of the car.

"Sorry, Bo, was just a joke ya know." Luke excused himself glad that Bo now had his head turned forwards.

"Not a very funny one cousin." Not seeing any hidden patrol car in one of the most popular speed traps, Bo increased the speed to slightly above that of the one written on the signs. The sooner they got home and got the chores done, the sooner he could talk Luke into going fishing with him. The mortgage was due soon and the Dukes were on a tight budget. If they ran down much further the boys would have to give up their beer money for grub money, cause pretty soon Daisy would be serving them beans with beans as they ran out of alternatives. Not too fond of the idea of a plate of beans and nothing else on it Bo would rather see his uncle make some fish stew. In fact, there was a lot of things that their uncle could do with some fresh fish, and all of it was better than beans with beans.

"Hey Bo, what are ya thinking about?" Luke asked frowning at his cousin. When Bo was completely silent for any stretch of time it was usually one of three alternatives. One was if he was sick; one if he thought his family was mad at him, and then it was when he was head over heels in love and thinking about the girl in question. Yet the smile on his face wasn't quite silly enough to be over a girl which made Luke wonder what was up.

"Huh," Bo looked at him, as if he had not first registered that he had spoken. "I was just wondering if the fish was likely to bite."

"Why?" Luke frowned at him again, since he had seemed just a little too deep in though for it to be about fish.

"Cause I ain't too fond of the idea of beans with beans for dinner. I'd rather have some fish stew." Bo pointed out as he turned up into the farm yard and parked the car.

"I say we hurry up an' get the chores done so we can find out." Luke nodded, as the comparison of beans with beans, to fish stew made him realize how the matter had been serious enough for that deep thinking. Food was after all something his cousin paid great heed to.

Working together towards a mutual goal it didn't take the two boys long before they were heading out again, this time with fishing poles in the back of the General.

**"I don't know about y'all, but I'd take Uncle Jesse's fish stew over beans any day of the week."**

/Please leave a review, the cricket is hungry…..


	3. Fish

Author's Note: Bo gets a girl in his sights, but sometimes the past makes it hard for someone to fully enjoy the future.

Big thanks to Vinsmouse for beta work.

**Warning**: _The warning is placed here for Vinsmouse, who wanted a spew warning here, claiming it might be a bad idea to drink while reading the funnier parts. So please keep in mind that drinking any kind of beverage while reading this, might be hazzard'ous to the health of your screen. _

This story deals with things that some people might find slightly difficult to read about.

Disclaimer: The Duke Boys are not mine, I don't own the Duke boys, nor the General Lee. I promise that once I'm through with them, there will be nothing broken that a trip to Cooter's garage can't fix…. Kerry-Marie however is mine.

* * *

**Haunted By The Past**

**_Chapter 3: Fish_**

Fishing was one of their favorite ways of getting food on the table. It meant relaxing in the shade with a beer each and just relaxing in comfortable silence. While Luke had always claimed it was the one time Bo was quiet, he was the first one to enjoy some relaxed and idle talk while they waited for the fish to bite. It was waiting comfortably while the food came to you instead of chasing after it.

The reason some seemed confused for it was that since the boys usually drove at a fast pace some seemed to think that they were literally unable to sit down and relax. They were wrong the Duke boys knew very well how to sit back and relax, they just preferred to do it like this.

Coming back into the farm house with a half dozen fish on the line they grinned as they saw Daisy take a can of beans from the pantry shelf.

"Hey, Daisy, look at these will ya?" Bo grinned as he put the fish down on the counter.

"Looks really nice Sugar." Smiling Daisy put the can back on the shelf.

"We kinda invited them for dinner." Luke joked.

"Yeah, they heard we were getting some of Uncle Jesse's fish stew, so they wanted to tag along." Bo added.

Daisy laughed at them and shook her head. "Well, in that case you had better get started there."

"On what?" Bo frowned confused wondering what she was talking about when the chores were all done.

"The fish needs ta be cleaned out Bo." She grinned at him. "Or Uncle Jesse ain't gonna be able to cook it."

"We're gonna clean it out?" Bo asked with a confused look between his cousins. "Why?"

"Because she is a girl and she tells us too." Luke turned to the counter and got a sharp knife suitable for the task from the kitchen drawer.

"Is that a good reason?" Bo frowned.

"Unless you want starch in your under shorts I'd say it is a very good reason." Luke told him. "Now get started, I ain't doing all of it."

Bo stepped up to him and grabbed his own knife before helping him. Both of them was good at taking out the fish, taught by their uncle from early days and it wasn't as if they really minded it either. It was mainly that bringing the fish home, they had hoped that they would be able to do some tinkering on the car before supper. A car like the General demanded constant attention, partially of the way that they drove him but also because they did always shower him with attention.

The way they always kept him tuned to perfection, the way they always made sure every bolt was tight and everything just in order. It did however mean that if anything changed the whole performance would drop at the same rate.

While they could not afford any new parts at the moment to heighten the performance, they could at least keep him in shape.

"We can work on the General after supper." Luke suggested having a pretty good idea of what Bo was thinking about.

Bo grinned at him nodding and just about to finish up his fish when he felt something slimy at the back of his neck.

"Luke!" Glaring at his cousin he grabbed the fish entrails Luke had seen fit to put there. "That's really immature."

"Yer just saying that cause I thought of it first." Luke chuckled happily.

"Okay, then I reckon this is okay." Grabbing a cut of fishtail Bo plunged it inside the lining of Luke's shirt and watched as his eyes got wide.

"Bo," Luke's tone was a low warning, one Bo ignored as he laughed.

Daisy shook her head and was grateful that both boys dropped their knives on the counter before bolting outside. Bo fleeing for his life with Luke hot on his heels.

Shaking her head, Daisy started cleaning up the counter. When the boys had gotten the fish, and cleaned them out it was the least she could do. Though she had to smile over how they both acted so much like small children. Glancing out the kitchen window she saw Luke catch up to Bo and take him down with a football tackle.

The boys wrestled around, and it was kind of amusing to watch the boxer verses the linebacker. While Luke was more limited because he really couldn't deal his cousin a right hook, he sure did know how to restrain him. Maybe it was the Marine training, but it almost seemed to Daisy that he was playing with his cousin like the cat would a mouse.

It was obvious that he could do what he pleased and was in fact doing it right now. Keeping Bo more or less restrained on the ground. Bo was good at tackling, but he really didn't know so much what to do when someone already was on the ground. On the other hand, he apparently knew more than he let on, for when Luke eased off a slight bit Bo threw him off and leapt to his feet taking of running. This time Luke had a harder time catching up and having cleaned up Daisy stepped outside to watch them. Bo was in full flight and leapt up over the tailgate of the pickup, one step in the truck bed before he went over the cab and hood landing on the ground again. She had never seen someone overtake a pickup in quite that manner before but Luke wasn't thrown off by the act. Instead he moved to intercept him by running past the pick up and he did close in a great deal.

Daisy laughed thinking that it would sure be an amusing sight to anyone who came visiting. To her it seemed Bo only made one mistake, he tried to throw Luke off course. The thing was, that Bo was actually a fraction faster than Luke and if the boys were in open terrain he did stand a chance of winning, but when he tried stunts as with the pickup he actually lost distance.

Up until when Luke reached forward and yanked him to a halt by grabbing his shirt collar. Daisy winced as she heard something rip and knew exactly who would be asked to mend the shirt. It did however look quite comical the way Bo was pulled to an abrupt halt and came to lean backwards until he crashed to the ground, pulling Luke with him in an attempt to keep to his feet. That was probably the most amusing of it all, because Bo flung his arms upwards grabbing on to anything he could get a hold of, which was Luke. He wound up pulling his cousin forward and downward so that the two of them looked almost like two poles falling towards another. Luke coming down more or less on top of Bo.

Luke took it with amusement as he considered his revenge complete. He rolled off Bo laughing while the blond boy coughed, trying to pull in air. He refused to see anything amusing in it before he had gotten back the air Luke had forced out of his lungs with the impact.

"You okay cousin?" Luke helped him to sit up giving him a slightly concerned look.

Bo gave a nod as he rubbed at his throat and gave another cough drawing a full breath. "There weren't no need ta git so rough," he complained.

"Ya shoved a fish tail down my shirt." Luke pointed out as he helped Bo to his feet, grinning as he watched the red slightly raw line at his collar bones. It sure had been some force when he pulled him to a stop. It showed not only there but also where there was two large rips in his shirt, one on each side.

"Yer the one telling Daisy my shirt need mending." Bo told Luke with a rather angry glare.

"No need Bo, git it off and I'll git started on it." Daisy told him.

"That was fun," Luke grinned as he sank down on the couch and leaned back relaxing.

"Really fun." Bo rubbed at the sore line the shirt had left again as he headed towards the boys bedroom instead.

"Bo, if ya give me yer shirt I can have it mended for ya before supper." Daisy told him and Bo shrugged out of the shirt handing it to her.

"Ya ain't mad at me are ya Bo?" Luke asked from the couch, not wanting to do something to upset his cousin even if he thought that Bo should know it had all been in jest.

"No, but it's kinda sore." Bo rubbed at the red line again. "Wasn't any need ta be quite so rough there."

Luke nodded as he saw the red line, it did look kinda raw and sore. "Tell ya what Bo, got a brand new car magazine by my bed, ain't even read it yet. Ya can read it first, that make it up to ya?"

"If ya git me some lemonade." Bo nodded as he went into the bedroom to get the magazine and Luke went to the kitchen for two glasses of lemonade. Daisy added them in a cookie each, even though it would soon be supper since she wanted to keep them in a good mood. Then she sank down to mend Bo's shirt. It was a lucky thing that it was mostly only the seam or it would have been harder to fix it.

Bo settled down on couch beside Luke and started reading the magazine. She didn't know why they bothered to try and read it before the other anyway. As soon as he saw something he thought was good he was telling Luke to take a look and then suddenly one of them was reading out loud to the other. It was more as if they were reading it together.

"**Now, that just makes me feel good seeing them boys do things together like that."**

/Please leave a review, the cricket is hungry…..


	4. A peaceful war

Author's Note: Bo gets a girl in his sights, but sometimes the past makes it hard for someone to fully enjoy the future.

Big thanks to Vinsmouse for beta work.

**Warning**: _The warning is placed here for Vinsmouse, who wanted a spew warning here, claiming it might be a bad idea to drink while reading the funnier parts. So please keep in mind that drinking any kind of beverage while reading this, might be hazzard'ous to the health of your screen. _

This story deals with things that some people might find slightly difficult to read about.

Disclaimer: The Duke Boys are not mine, I don't own the Duke boys, nor the General Lee. I promise that once I'm through with them, there will be nothing broken that a trip to Cooter's garage can't fix…. Kerry-Marie however is mine.

* * *

**Haunted By The Past**

_**Chapter 4: A peaceful war**_

When Jesse got home he started working on the fish stew while the boys were both bent over the magazine and discussing something quite intently. Daisy had no idea what it was they were talking about. It wouldn't do any good to eavesdrop on them. While it was doubtful that they would mind, they had a habit of not always speaking in full sentences. Bo might see fit to stop as soon as it was clear Luke knew what he was talking about. The same way Luke only told as much as was needed for Bo to catch on. The boys had never completed each others sentences as some did, but when it was just the two of them talking they could be really bad.

She was able to figure out that it was something concerning the General. She would guess it was either some new gadget that cost a fortune that naturally the boys would want for the General. They always wanted everything new for that car. As much money as they always spent on something new for it, she suspected that they could have gotten a race car by now. She wasn't sure exactly how much they spent on it, but it sure was a lot. The irony was that the boys were telling her she spent far too much on clothes and the like. Being two they spent probably twice as much as she did, and they always seemed to be owing Cooter money for it.

Now Luke had retrieved a note pad and a pen and was writing some stuff down while Bo was eagerly telling him things, nearly bouncing on his seat. She shook her head, there was no way to guess that about ten minutes earlier they had been locked in what looked like full battle. Now Bo was giving a loud holler about something while Luke told him to be quiet so he could concentrate. By now it was clear that it had something to do with the General. What it was she couldn't possibly imagine.

Jesse came in and smiled over the way they boys were leaning in over the paper, heads together. He chuckled as he started on the fish stew.

"Them two boys in there looks mighty peaceful, don't they?" He beamed at his little girl.

"Now they do, before it was a full scaled war." She told him with a grin, at least she had Bo's shirt all mended.

"With those two, it's always one or the other." Jesse chuckled. "It's all one can do to keep up with them."

Daisy nodded, glancing at them. There were times when she almost felt left out when they got together. On the other hand, there were quite the number of times when she had no desire to. The two boys seemed to have it down to a monthly routine to get arrested or in trouble. She just couldn't understand what was so fun about it. While she could be quite the trouble maker herself, there was no fun in being caught.

She helped her uncle set the table while he worked on the stew, calling the boys to the table when it was all ready. The two of them came over still caught up in the same discussion and she shook her head once more.

Sitting down they folded their hands for their uncle to say grace. Bo tried to reach for a morsel but was intercepted by a sharp look from his uncle, a slap on the hand from Luke and a kick under the table from Daisy.

Deciding that it was a day when he would not succeed Bo quickly decided on retreat and folded his hands again while Jesse hid a smile behind his beard. He would never let the boy figure it out, but in truth he found it amusing. It was one story he had never told these children, but when he and his own brothers settled down to eat supper it was Bo's father that would sometimes try to sneak a crumb for tasting.

It was a small father son similarity it seemed. Something that proved to him how much the boys were like their fathers. Luke's father had always been quick to figure things out. He was also the one to come up with the best pranks. The main reason he had never made to get Bo out of his habit of trying to sneak a taste was just that. In spite of never really haven gotten to know his father, Bo still shared a trait with him and Jesse had never had the heart to completely discourage him out of it.

He filled their plates for them and complimented them for having caught the fish.

"We just thought it would taste nice with a fish stew." Luke grinned.

"Yeah, it was some times since." Bo agreed, as he took Luke's hint and spoke with a little more tact than he normally did.

"Sure is," Jesse nodded slowly. "Seems to me we ain't had a good rabbit stew in a long time either. Maybe the two of ya should try an' take care of that tomorrow?" Jesse was completely aware of the problem and while he would have wished to be able to provide for them without having to send them out hunting to fill an empty pantry they were doing good.

"Well, sure Uncle Jesse." Luke told him looking at Bo, who was agreeing happily. As far as they were concerned that was one of the best reasons to go hunting, because their uncle Jesse could turn it into the best food there was.

"**Rabbit stew huh, now this seems like a good time to drop back for a visit…"**

/Please leave a review, the cricket is hungry.


	5. A Bad Date

Author's Note: Bo gets a girl in his sights, but sometimes the past makes it hard for someone to fully enjoy the future.

Big thanks to Vinsmouse for beta work.

**Warning**: _The warning is placed here for Vinsmouse, who wanted a spew warning here, claiming it might be a bad idea to drink while reading the funnier parts. So please keep in mind that drinking any kind of beverage while reading this, might be hazzard'ous to the health of your screen. _

This story deals with things that some people might find slightly difficult to read about.

Disclaimer: The Duke Boys are not mine, I don't own the Duke boys, nor the General Lee. I promise that once I'm through with them, there will be nothing broken that a trip to Cooter's garage can't fix…. Kerry-Marie however is mine.

* * *

Chapter 5: A Bad Date 

"Hey Bo, are ya coming to the Boars Nest tonight?" Luke called out as he stepped out of the shower.

"Of course I am." Bo called back from their bedroom, where he stood by the closet trying to pick out a nice shirt for a night of jukeing.

"Are ya taking someone or are ya gonna make yer pick there?" Luke called out as he dried his hair with the towel.

Keeping a conversation between the bathroom and the bedroom usually made Daisy ask them if it couldn't wait until they were in the same room, but she was already at work and Jesse did nothing but smile and shake his head.

"I'm taking someone." Bo declared, finally deciding on a denim shirt cut from both a pale denim and a slightly darker one. Neither of them had a large selection of clothes except Daisy. Of course neither of them was surprised over that fact.

Satisfied since the only alternative he had at the moment was his red shirt and it wasn't exactly what he felt like he closed the closet door.

"Is that what yer gonna wear?" Luke frowned as he came in into the bedroom wearing only his jeans.

"Yeah, I reckon I am." Bo smoothed down the front of it with his hands. "Something wrong with it?"

"Oh, well, not exactly." Luke told him thoughtfully, brushing of a little lint from the shoulder. "It's a really nice shirt."

"Yeah," Bo beamed happily at him.

"There's only one small thing." Luke went on.

"What's that?" Bo craned his neck to look it over.

"Oh, it's mine." Luke told him crossing his arms over his chest.

"Oh, only that." Bo was back to beaming again.

"Yeah, only that." Luke nodded knowing that it wouldn't really bother Bo and since he hadn't thought to wear it he didn't really care if Bo did. "Who gets the General an' who gets the pick up? I ain't got a date until we get there."

"We can take the General." Bo told him thoughtfully. "I'm gonna pick up Kerry-Marie, but she don't mind if yer along on the way there."

"You're still going out with her?" Luke asked shaking his head.

"Yeah, I am still seeing her." Bo informed him a bit defensively. "She's nice, why shouldn't I?"

"No reason." Luke shook his head, buttoning up his own shirt, or rather one of his other shirts. "As long as yer happy it's fine by me."

"Is there a reason I shouldn't be happy wi' her?" Bo frowned.

Luke shrugged, "Well, it ain't all that often yer dating the same girl fer so long."

"I know that, but she's a nice girl so why not." Bo leaned against the closet as Luke sank down on the bed to pull on his boots. "Ya ready to go?"

"You bet, cousin." Luke stood up and put a hand on Bo's shoulder as he headed for the door. "Come on now, before Boss Hogg waters down the beer too much?"

"Luke, he did that yesterday." Bo objected as he hurried after Luke, hoping to get into the General before Luke did so that he would be allowed to drive.

Several hours later, when they pulled up at the farm, Bo slowly climbed out of the passenger seat window. Luke had his shirt open and was by now ready for another shower, as he had worked up quite a sweat jukeing with half of the girls that had been there. The other half were the ones that had been there with their boyfriends.

"What happened anyway?" Luke asked quietly as he himself climbed out of the General and put his arm around Bo's shoulder. The only thing he knew was that suddenly he couldn't find Bo anywhere and in a bar the size of the Boars Nest that was quite a feat.

When Bo later came back, he went straight for the bar ordering a beer from Daisy and became the main bar supporter for the rest of the evening. While it would make sure that the bar didn't fall flat down forward it made both Daisy and Luke wonder what happened since Kerry-Marie was no longer with him.

"I have no idea." Bo shook his head.

"Did ya say something, or do something?" Luke went on as he opened the door to the kitchen and walked through the dark room towards their bedroom.

"I Don't know Luke, I ain't got any idea." Bo sighed heavily, dropping down on his bed fully clothed and with his boots still on. "Suddenly she just wanted me ta take her home…"

"Well Bo, ya know how girls are." Luke told him trying to cheer him up. "It probably had nothing to do with ya at all."

"Keep telling me that an' I might believe it." Bo mumbled.

"Well don't cha worry." Recognizing that Bo was really feeling down about it, Luke sank down on the side of his bed. Putting his hand on his shoulder, he tried to both comfort and cheer up his cousin. "I tell ya what ya should do. As soon as we finish the chores tomorrow, ya call her up an' ask her if she wants go on a picnic with ya. I bet she will want to, an' I can have Daisy make ya a nice picnic basket."

"She says she's tired o' doing that just so we's can have a flirt." Bo told him not really cheered up yet.

"Well, I'll ask her." Luke told him quite confident in his ability to talk Daisy into making their baby cousin a nice basket. She too had seen how dejected he was tonight and if she thought it would help she would. "Come on now, stop pondering it an' git ya'self to bed." Standing up he grabbed a hold of Bo's boot and started pulling it off his foot, near pulling him off the bed.

"What are ya doing?" Bo demanded, as he pulled himself back up on the bed and brought his now bootless foot close in case Luke grabbed a new hold.

"Getting ya undressed so that ya can sleep." Luke informed, reaching over and grabbing his other boot. The last time he had undressed Bo, was when he had fallen asleep after spending a week plowing. That time he had been covered in mud too. However as he lost his other boot and half the sock with it, Bo got the point and sat up to push his jeans down. Spreading his clothes out in the familiar half circle around the bed, Luke just knew Bo would have trouble finding his boot in the morning since Luke had dropped it where he was, which was closer to Luke's bed than to Bo's.

"Don't worry about it cousin." Luke told him as he crawled down under the cover. "It's gonna be fine you'll see."

Bo mumbled something in reply and Luke smiled since he seemed to be halfway asleep already.

It took Luke all of a half minute to convince Daisy to pack Bo some nice food for him and Kerry-Marie after he had called her.

**"Now ain't that nice of Daisy, an' I'm sure that girl's gonna appreciate it to." **

/Please leave a review, the cricket is hungry….


	6. A Hard Story Told, The Healing Can Begin

Author's Note: Bo gets a girl in his sights, but sometimes the past makes it hard for someone to fully enjoy the future.

Big thanks to Vinsmouse for beta work.

**Warning**: _The warning is placed here for Vinsmouse, who wanted a spew warning here, claiming it might be a bad idea to drink while reading the funnier parts. So please keep in mind that drinking any kind of beverage while reading this, might be hazzard'ous to the health of your screen. _

This story deals with things that some people might find slightly difficult to read about.

Disclaimer: The Duke Boys are not mine, I don't own the Duke boys, nor the General Lee. I promise that once I'm through with them, there will be nothing broken that a trip to Cooter's garage can't fix…. Kerry-Marie however is mine.

* * *

Chapter 6: A Hard Story Told, The Healing Can Begin

One week later as he came home from the evenings date with Kerry-Marie Bo slammed shut the door of the pick up in frustration and stalked inside. Luke looked up having come home early. His evening at the Boars Nest had been fruitless and he had hoped that Bo had had better luck down by the lake but apparently not.

"Date went bad?" Luke asked softly as Bo came into their bedroom and sank down heavily on Luke's bed.

"T'was great till about half an hour ago when she asked me ta take her home." Bo declared frustrated. "I don't get it Luke, I like her, an' she likes me, but then all of a sudden she goes all crazy on me."

"Look Bo, maybe ya should see someone else fer a bit." Luke suggested carefully, knowing how determined Bo could be. He got his sights on one girl and then he didn't give up until he got what he wanted. Or occasionally if the girl went for someone else instead, like Luke.

"No," Bo shook his head. "Luke, I know how Becky May was looking at me, but I don't wanna go on a date with her just yet."

"You want Kerry-Marie." Luke nodded knowingly and watched as Bo nodded.

"What should I do Luke?" Bo asked, turning to his cousin. "Do ya think it would help if I got her chocolates or something, flowers?"

"I don't know Bo." Luke draped an arm around his shoulders. "Look Bo, if you don't want to take a break an' see someone else. Then why don't ya talk some with Daisy in the morning. She's a girl, maybe she can help you."

Nodding slowly Bo got up from his cousin's bed and started getting ready for his own. He was still trying to figure out what to do with Kerry-Marie as he drifted off to sleep.

* * *

Three weeks, two bouquets of flowers and one box of chocolate later, Bo was at a loss and growing more and more frustrated.

"I don't understand this Luke," Bo told him as the two of them was working on the General together.

"Bo, why don't you try an' tell me exactly what has happened." Luke suggested.

"Well, she likes it. She really does," Bo stated, tapping the screw driver against his palm. "We go jukeing, we go on a picnic, to the movies, whatever we do she likes it, we kiss and we cuddle some and it's great. It's really great, but then she'll just pull away and either she jumps up and wants to do something else or she wants me to take her home."

"Maybe it's too fast for her." Luke said thoughtfully. "She is pretty shy, maybe she ain't ready for it."

"I don't know." Bo shook his head once more. "I have absolutely no idea Luke."

Thinking that it was something that he did wrong and not wanting to hurt her, Bo very nearly suggested that they weren't right for each other. He didn't want to because even though he knew that he would not date her forever he didn't want to just give it all up and move on just yet. The thought of settling down was still completely alien to him, but as sweet as Becky May and Linda Lou was Bo wasn't ready to give up quite yet.

What he was not ready for, was for Kerry-Marie to suddenly pull up at the farm in her father's pick up one day. He looked up as she came over but wasn't quite sure what to think. Especially not with the serious way she looked at him.

"Bo, we need to talk, there is something I need you to know." She told him quietly and Bo nodded, suddenly deciding that the wood could wait a little while. Jesse would understand that this was something that he had to take care of. The hayloft was all the privacy that he could offer her, so he took her there.

"Bo, I know I keep pulling away all the time, and, I want you to know it's not because of anything ya do," she started quietly.

Bo sat quietly beside her, figuring to let her tell it at her own pace. He sensed that there was something bad coming but he had no idea what.

"Bo, ya know how we moved here when I was seventeen." She went on and Bo nodded.

"Yeah, I remember." Bo assured her, he remembered it alright. He and Luke had been in town when they had moved into one of the houses there.

"When I was young we lived further up north." Kerry-Marie went on taking a straw of hay and starting to twisting it in her hands. "My father worked a traveling job so we didn't always see too much of him, an' well, I wasn't really popular in school. They bullied me a lot an' it was kinda hard."

Bo nodded slowly, the good thing about a town the size of Hazzard was that bullies would find it hard to get too rough, since everyone always had older siblings and friends. You didn't beat up a kid who had a two hundred pound quarterback for a big brother; not more than once.

Kerry-Marie swallowed hard. "Well, I was offered this job, in one of the small stores there. He, he said that he needed an extra hand at times, he was old. I was twelve then Bo, an' I just wanted to earn a little money."

"Yeah," Bo agreed quietly. At that age he himself had been taking odd jobs all the time for a few dollars. It wasn't anything unusual and it would be anything from running an errand for someone when he was in town, to actually hiking over to someone's farm to perform a job there.

"He was so nice an' he always gave me some candy or something as I left and I really enjoyed it." Once more Kerry-Marie swallowed and Bo scooted closer. Offering his support in the only way he knew how.

"My parents were gonna go out of town over the weekend, an' they asked him if I could stay wi' him over the weekend, so I wouldn't have ta be alone." Kerry-Marie took his hand. "When we got there, he kept pawning at me an' I didn't know why, I couldn't understand it, but, that night, I woke up cause he was rapeing me." Kerry-Marie's voice faded away and Bo looked at her in shock. He had never heard about something like that before and had absolutely no idea how he should react.

"I was twelve Bo, just twelve. I didn't know what it was about. I didn't even know what happened. He, he did it both nights and said I shouldn't tell my mother cause she might get mad. As soon as my parents came home I told her an' she was furious. She made him stay away from us, he moved, I, I heard he went to jail later. Because he raped a girl."

"Where is he now?" Bo asked her, right now the only thing he felt was a cold desire to search him out and take revenge. Bo knew what rape was, it was never talked about out loud in town, but he knew what it was and what it meant and he had long ago vowed to himself to never let it happen to anyone if he could do anything about it.

"I think he's dead, he was so old." Kerry-Marie told him. "It don't matter Bo, I know ya would protect me, I know that an' it means a lot to me. An' I really like ya, yer great Bo. But I guess the reason I keep pulling away is I'm scared. It ain't fair to ya. I just wanted ya to know why. I know ya would never do that to anyone, but I'm still scared."

"I would never let it happen to ya, or to anyone." Bo assured her squeezing her hand.

She nodded slowly. "I know Bo, but I just can't do it, no matter how much I want to. It ain't so bad anymore. But, ya read in those novels how the girl never seems bothered by it, but it did something that I can't get over." She took a deep breath. "I had a boy friend an' he was getting annoyed I couldn't do what he wanted an' so I told him, but he didn't understand. I was worried ya wouldn't either but I had to let ya know cause it wasn't fair with all yer doing fer me, an' ya ain't ever getting anything fer it."

Bo looked at her. He still wanted to beat the guy and possibly even kill him, but he knew that it was not possible and him being furious at him would help neither one of them.

"Do ya like it when we go out?" He asked her softly and watched her give a small nod. "Then I am getting something out of it, if yer happy that's all I need."

"But it ain't fair to ya Bo. I know how ya wanna cuddle with the girls an' all." A small agitated tone was creeping into her voice and Bo gently hushed her.

"If I wanna git down to the lake an' cuddle, I can." He told her. "An' I do, I know that, so maybe I should get me a date soon down there, but going to the Boars Nest with ya is just as nice as that. Yer the cherry on top, don't need no cuddle fer it to be a nice evening."

Once more she nodded slowly. "I was worried that once ya knew ya'd push me away," she admitted quietly.

Bo shook his head and pulled her against him, leaning against a hay bale. "I'd never do that, I ain't ready fer settling down or nothing yet. So if ya see me wi' someone else I don't want ya to think it has to do with any of this. But if I had that guy here I'd wring his neck. Yer a really sweet girl, an' I like ya. An' if I's doing anything ya don't want me to, I won't as long as ya tell me what it is." He gave her one more hug. "I appreciate ya telling me, can't 've been easy."

"It wasn't, but ya deserved ta know. An' ya were really understanding Bo." She told him with a small smile.

Luke was the family expert on fast thinking, but Bo could when he wanted and right now his brain was working hard. He was fully aware of how upset she was, and he wanted to distract her with something. He also wanted her to have a happier focus, preferably one that would make this day something nice to remember.

"I kinda have to finish the wood," he told her. "How about keeping me company, an' then when I'm done maybe we could throw together a picnic basket an' go down to the lake?" he suggested thoughtfully.

"I have a better idea," she smiled at him. "Why don't ya finish that, an' I go back home an' put together a really nice picnic basket?"

"Sounds lovely," Bo beamed at her.

He helped her down the ladder and waved as she drove off. Right now he was going to finish really fast, then he would make sure she had a nice evening and after that when the whole story started getting to him, Luke could deal with that.

The most important thing right now was her and to make sure that neither he nor anyone else pushed her too hard. While yet making sure that she knew he didn't think of her any different than before. He felt different, he was raised to protect girls and the fact that one he knew had been hurt was tearing him up inside. It was only because he thought of what was best for her that he could keep himself calm.

With time he hoped that she could heal, he suspected so because she had always struck him as a very strong girl. He had just never known how strong before today.

While Bo returned slightly to the girls he used to be dating, though Becky May's mother made it quite clear that she didn't appreciate the attention he was giving her daughter, he kept seeing Kerry-Marie from time to time.

One thing he noticed was that she really did improve. After Luke took her on a few dates, and some of the more sensitive boys around Hazzard as well, she started to grow more secure. The two of them enjoyed each other's company but their relationship turned to that of mostly friends. Though if both wound up without dates of an evening at the Boar's Nest, chances was they would make themselves a couple for the evening. Bo was quite content with that, and so she seemed to be.

The End

A/N. At this point I would like to draw your attention to the fact that what is a nice story to you is reality to someone else. I do not wish to ruin the experience of reading or writing a good story for anyone. I would like to ask you to keep in mind though that rape is a serious crime and something that can haunt people for years, a careless word can hurt so very much and a thoughtless story can be really cruel. As is often the case in stories and books the girl will cry hysterically during the rape but is rarely affected for any longer time. That is not the case with real rape. Some people never get over a rape and never dare to trust again. This story is based on a true story and only enough is changed to make it a story rather then a re-tell of the event. The girl was not named Kerry-Marie, but she was twelve and the rape stretched over the course of two days. I realize some of you will react to this and might find it hard. Again, I do not want to ruin anything for you but please keep in mind the next time you write a story that someone might see a glimpse of their own life in it.

Thank you all for reading, Elenhin

/Please leave a review, the cricket is hungry.


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